Classic and standard Japanese songs celebrating mochi pounding
When you think of New Year’s or the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, some people might picture mochi.
During the New Year, many households display kagami-mochi and have plenty of chances to eat mochi, and around moon-viewing season, there’s even the saying that rabbits are pounding mochi on the moon.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide selection of songs related to mochi! From songs that sing about mochi, to hand-play songs themed around mochi pounding, and even folk songs about mochi that have long been rooted in local regions—we’ll cover it all.
Take this opportunity to give them a listen.
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Classic and standard Japanese songs about rice-cake pounding (41–50)
Rabbit mochi pounding
If you’re looking for a hand game song to play with small children, how about this one? Speaking of the moon, people have long said you can see a pattern that looks like a rabbit pounding mochi.
This children’s song is based on that idea.
In pairs, you clap to the rhythm of the song and slip your hand between your partner’s two hands.
Since timing is important, it’s a great opportunity to teach children how to interact with others.
Give it a try with a smile, and have fun!
Kami-Ochiai Mochitsuki Song
This is a rice-pounding song passed down in the Kamiochiai area, which has been designated as an intangible folk cultural property of Shinjuku Ward.
It used to be sung in Kamiochiai when making rice cakes for New Year’s and for storage, and is now sung by a preservation society during the monthly rice-pounding at Tsukimioka Hachiman Shrine.
Centered on gratitude for safely completing the year, it expresses wishes for the continued prosperity of the community and hopes for long life.
The melody is relaxed, the lyrics have five verses, and the song begins with the first strikes of the mochi pounding; by the time the song ends, the mochi is finished.
Aizu Mochitsuki Song
This is the Aizu Mochitsuki Song, the version sung at the public hall in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture.
It was born from a custom in which a married couple pounds mochi together, expressing the wish to live in mutual support forever and never be separated.
It has been recorded on CD, sung by the folk singer Masao Suzuki.
Toshima Rice Cake Pounding Song
The Toshima Mochitsuki Song is a folk song from Toshima Ward in Tokyo.
Around 1960, the folk singer Chigetsu Ozawa added lyrics to a song she had heard passed down from her wife’s grandmother, and it gradually spread—making it a very new work by folk-song standards.
It is also said to be a variant of “Neribushi” from the Ōmiya area of Saitama Prefecture.
The lyrics mention that, since there were no rice paddies in Toshima Ward at the time, they used glutinous rice from Mito, Owari, and Echigo.
This clearly shows how deeply folk songs were rooted in everyday life.
Full Moon Night’s Mochi Poundingwarabeuta
Speaking of the fifteenth night, it’s the Harvest Moon, but I bet more people prefer the moon-viewing dumplings, right? (haha) “Jūgoya-san no Mochitsuki” is a traditional children’s song that cheerfully and lively sings about pounding mochi.
The lyrics use onomatopoeic sounds that mimic the rhythm of pounding, so it’s perfect for a hand-play song.
Once you get used to it, try speeding it up to raise the difficulty—it gets even more fun.
Give it a listen not only on the Harvest Moon night but also during the New Year season when we eat mochi.
Daifuku OndoKāru Kitagawa · Sara
Daifuku Ondo is a celebratory, feel-good song that’s sure to lift your spirits.
Sung by impressionist entertainers Carl Kitagawa and Sara, it features Daifuku Man, a hero from the land of wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets), who performs the song with dance in various places.
The lyrics energetically depict the scene of pounding mochi with all one’s might to make daifuku.
Not only will the power of mochi perk you up, but singing and dancing along to this song will surely boost your energy too! It’s a tune that both children and adults can enjoy.
In conclusion
We’ve introduced a whole collection of songs related to mochi.
There were all kinds—from hand-play songs themed around mochi pounding to folk songs that have long taken root in various regions.
Hand-play songs in particular are great fun to sing and play with young children, so take this opportunity to give them a try!